Rjukan – an ice climbing trip

Rjukan is one of the best and well-known ice climbing regions in Europe. Thanks to steep valleys offering lots of water and shade makes it possible to ice climb there from late Autumn to early Spring. Stable conditions are a big factor contributing to popularity of this place. Variety of different difficulty levels and length of routes makes it a go to destination for beginners and experienced climbers alike. Majority of ice-climbing sites are located within short walking distance – unlike in bigger mountains where considerable time and effort is needed on the approach.

Below my perspective on the places I was able to visit:

Krokan – located around 8 km west of the Rjukan village via road 37, soon after tunnel exit. It offers a variety of short single pitch routes. It was good for me to start as reintroduction to ice climbing after a year break and also to do some easier routes on the “recovery” days

Vemork Bridge – another very popular place, easy to spot 5 km west of the Rjukan village. It is the bridge leading to the power plant and museum buildings. There are a few 1 or 2 pitch moderate difficulty routes – some can be top roped easily accessing trees via exit paths leading to asphalt road .

Upper Gorge – you can access it from the same location as Vemork bridge and walk East and up the ravine from the Vemork bridge. It is where more challenging 2-3 pitch routes are located including one of the hardest ice routes in Europe 3 pitch WI7 Lipton – owing its name to brown ice coloured by mineral deposits.  

 

These are just a few locations – I hope to return with more skill to explore also other areas and have more fun in the cold next year. 

     

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